


Like Strangers Laugh

by orphan_account



Category: Bandom, My Chemical Romance
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Band, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Implied/Referenced Drug Addiction, M/M, but frerard is still there, domestic frerard, mikey isn't doing too great, mostly focused on gerard and mikey, ray's kinda helpful in a not so helpful way, way brothers sibling goals
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-29
Updated: 2015-07-29
Packaged: 2018-04-11 20:53:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,639
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4451960
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Can I sleep on your couch to the pound of the ache and pain?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Like Strangers Laugh

**Author's Note:**

> Domestic-y au where Frank and Gerard live together and Mikey isn’t doing too well. Mikey and Frank have never met because um Gee lost contact with Mikey or something idk. Also Gerard sometimes picks up random strangers who need help because he is a nice person and Frank does not encourage it. (This is really badly thought out and by ‘really badly’ I mean not at all.)
> 
> title and description taken from ['brother'](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAuVJIOsQPo) by gerard way.

Gerard does not give his phone number out to random strangers. He really doesn’t. But he also does not know anyone who would get this drunk on a work night and slur down the phone while the sound of a subway late at night plays in the background so he figures he must have given it to at least one stranger. And then the voice mentions some guy with an afro and Gerard could just shoot Ray because _what the fuck, Toro, that’s personal information!_ Gerard knows he should hang up because the voice probably has someone who cares about it and is going to look after it but he’s also not sure if he can just leave a voice all alone in a subway station at almost midnight. It wouldn’t be so bad if the voice was just a little intoxicated, but this is not the giggly, “I accidentally dialled your number because I can’t see straight let alone type properly haha” kind of drunk. This is the kind of drunk a voice gets when they’ve had enough alcohol to be potentially harmful; when they know how much they’re drinking and it’s not because they think it’ll be fun. This is the kind of drunk Gerard understands and maybe that’s why he feels like he can’t hang up. And then the voice laughs and Gerard can’t remember why he ever thought it might be a good idea to leave this voice to deal with its own problems. He knows that laugh and he doesn’t know how or where from and he doesn’t think he’s heard it masked by this much alcohol but he knows it and before he can register much else he’s promising to jump in the car and come to help the voice because he just knows he has to.

The drive to the subway isn’t all that long but it gives Gerard time to think and, it isn’t like a sudden realisation or anything, but by the time he’s pulling into a parking spot his mind has pretty well formed a body around the voice. He heads down the escalator and spots the voice steadying itself against the wall. It’s not exactly the body he’d imagined but he knows it’s the same one.

Mikey does not look good. Gerard supposes if he weren’t drunk and had perhaps showered at least once in the past few months, maybe combed his hair and put on some clean clothes, then he might be presentable but in his current state he looks – well, like a drunk homeless person. He’s ditched the dorky glasses and beanie he never used to be seen without and, Gerard doesn’t know why (after all, he continuously made fun of them), but he really kind of misses them. His hair is shorter and blonder and he doesn’t seem to be wearing eyeliner. In fact his eyes appear to be rimmed in red, though Gerard suspects that’s not a fashion trend. Staring at his little brother for the first time in what feels like forever, Gerard realises how different it is now. A few years ago he would have done anything for Mikey, and vice versa, but now they barely talk. They used to come before everything else, they used to be each other’s number ones.

And then Gerard stops thinking about past-Mikey because present-Mikey is standing right in front of him and is about to collapse. Gerard slides his hands under Mikey’s armpits to hold him up and pulls him in close.

“Oh Mikes,” he whispers, his fingers finding their way to stroke Mikey’s face and cup his cheeks. Despite Mikey’s height advantage, he’s all skin and bones so it’s no hassle for Gerard to scoop him up and carry him out of the station to Gerard’s car.

Back at home Gerard finds a blanket to cover Mikey’s lanky body which is squished onto the small couch. He brings a glass of water as well but Mikey is no longer conscious. Gerard watches his brother sleep for a while before he decides it’s creepy and goes through to his room. He knows he’ll just end up lying awake but he crawls into bed anyway and curls up fully clothed.

Frank comes home at one and Gerard peeks at him over the top of the blanket he’s cocooned himself in. Frank slips off his shoes and changes his shirt, his old one probably sweaty from DJ-ing at the club he works at, before he starts to speak.

“Gerard, there is a strange man on our couch.” Gerard thinks the strangest thing about this situation is that Frank isn’t even worried about it, like it’s normal for Gerard to bring home strangers he’s taken pity on. Which it kind of is. Gerard doesn’t say anything and Frank lets out a tiny breath and slides into bed behind him.

“Gee,” he mumbles, tugging an arm around Gerard’s chest and breathing into the back of his neck.

“It’s different this time.” Frank won’t understand how it’s different but it is and Gerard doesn’t know how to explain it.

“He laughed,” Gerard says and feels Frank’s forehead thump gently against his shoulder.

“Would you pick up any stranger who laughed at you? You can’t just-” Gerard cuts off Frank’s words before he can finish.

“Frank, he’s my brother.” Gerard can feel Frank go stiff behind him and his arm slides away from Gerard’s waist.

“You don’t have a brother.” His voice is soft and unsure and Gerard wants to cry. He doesn’t say anything and neither does Frank and eventually he can tell Frank has gone to sleep but Gerard lies awake, listening to the breathing behind his head and wondering if it matches the breaths from the couch two rooms away.

He gets up five hours later without sleeping a wink and goes to make coffee. He knows Frank won’t wake up for at least another two hours and he doesn’t let his eyes stray to the sitting room door as he passes, not wanting to know if Mikey is awake. He likes making coffee. It’s routine, methodical, _normal_. He can pretend nothing’s changed while he’s doing it. He stares out the kitchen window while he drinks it and forgets that he’s not the only one in the house. Which is why it shocks him so much when the door opens.

“Gerard.” Mikey stands there looking timid and a lot smaller than his height lets him be. He walks over to Gerard and looks like he maybe wants to hug him or squeeze his arm, but he doesn’t.

“You stink,” Gerard says, avoiding Mikey’s eyes.

“Gerard.” Why does his name have so much meaning when Mikey says it?

“I think you should shower.” Gerard turns away, putting down his mug and starting to lead the way to the bathroom.

“Gee, please look at me. I’m sorry.”

“I think you should shower,” Gerard repeats and Mikey sighs, following him out of the kitchen. Once he’s in the shower, Gerard searches for some pain killers and makes more coffee. He tiptoes back to his and Frank’s room to look for some clothes that might fit Mikey. Frank is still blissfully asleep and Gerard closes the door softly, wanting him to stay that way for as long as possible.

Mikey is in the shower for a long time and Gerard is beginning to consider the possibility of him having drowned when the water finally shuts off. Gerard knocks gently on the door and calls out to say he’s brought some clean clothes. The door opens and Mikey’s skinny arm reaches through the gap to take the clothes from Gerard. A few minutes later he walks through to the kitchen, pushing his damp hair back from his forehead. The sweat pants are a little short, hitched up around his ankles, but the t-shirt fits pretty well. Gerard has a pain killer and a glass of water prepared and he hands both to Mikey who downs them quickly.

“Would you like some coffee?” Gerard says, gesturing towards the pot and Mikey just nods as though he’s afraid to speak. They take their mugs through to the sitting room and sit at opposite ends of the couch Mikey slept on. Gerard hates the gap between them that seems to stretch on forever but he can’t bring himself to breach it.

“So, you’re in New York.” Gerard stares at his coffee while he speaks as though the brown liquid is infinitely more interesting than his brother. Mikey makes a noise of agreement but doesn’t offer any further information. Gerard tries again.

“Do you live here now?” Gerard glances up to see Mikey shake his head. Again there is no explanation and Gerard gives up, figuring Mikey can take a turn at initiating conversation.

“I didn’t really plan on being here actually,” he says after a while and Gerard just nods, expecting him to continue.

“I just- It’s bad, Gerard. It’s been this way for a while and I don’t know how to stop.” Gerard can feel his heart breaking with every word. He wants to fix everything, he wants to protect his baby brother and make it all okay.

“I needed you.” Mikey’s voice is a tiny whisper but Gerard hears it loud and clear and that’s all it takes for him to have Mikey wrapped up in his arms. Mikey is shaking as he cries and Gerard’s not sure when it happens but suddenly he’s crying too, creating a patch of soaked material on Mikey’s borrowed shirt. Neither of them seem to be able to stop so they just keep crying and holding each other and rocking back and forwards a little on the couch. They stay like that, making up for all the time they’ve spent starved of each other’s hugs, until there’s a slight cough from behind them.

“Could I talk to you Gerard?” Frank shuffles his feet and glares at the opposite wall while Gerard stands up, brushing Mikey’s hair back from his forehead and smiling at him. He closes the door and follows Frank back to their bedroom where they can talk in private.

“Who is he?” Frank’s still not looking at Gerard and it gives the conversation an uneasy atmosphere, making Gerard want to throw up.

“He’s my brother.” It’s not what Frank wants to hear but Gerard doesn’t know how else to say it. He wants to explain in a way that Frank will understand but he can’t think of one and he’s pretty sure there’s no point in searching.

“No he isn’t. You don’t have a brother. I would know.” Everything about Frank screams defeated; his stature, the tone of his voice, the look in his sleep-deprived eyes. Gerard can’t help it, he needs to do something. He wraps his arms around Frank’s shoulders and tugs him closer. Frank collapses against Gerard’s chest and Gerard holds him, running fingers through his hair to calm him.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry, Frankie. I’m so sorry.” Gerard isn’t entirely sure if he’s apologising for having a brother or for not telling Frank about it or for inviting said brother to their home unexpectedly but he thinks it’s the thing to do. Somehow they end up on the bed, Frank curling into Gerard’s side almost instinctively and Gerard wrapping an arm around his shoulders.

“We used to do everything together. I never thought there would be a time when we didn’t. We were going to grow up together and start a band and tour together and live together. And now, we haven’t spoken in years.” Gerard’s voice cracks at the end and Frank’s hand, resting on Gerard’s thigh, grips slightly as if in reassurance.

“What happened?”

“I did some stupid things and I pushed him away. He was trying to fix me and I didn’t think I needed it and then I lost him. And now he’s as broken as I was and I don’t know what to do.”

“Gerard, hey, Gee. Don’t cry, okay? You have to tell me what’s going on with him. You have to tell me or we can’t do anything to help him.” Frank is being so _nice_ about this. He’s reacting so _well_ and Gerard doesn’t know why he isn’t getting mad.

“I don’t know, Frank, I don’t know what’s wrong. I just know he needs me.”

Frank is quiet for a bit, his thumb rubbing absentmindedly across Gerard’s thigh in comfort. It’s a few minutes before he seems to come to an inner verdict and speaks again.

“So, you should talk to him. Find out what he needs. He can stay as long as he wants.”

Gerard feels it like a knife in the chest. Frank is so understanding and so good to him and, god, he abuses that too much. He wants to do something or say something that might make Frank realise how much this means to him but he doesn’t know what. So he just stands up and Frank stands up too and they walk down the hall to the closed door.

“Will you come in with me?” Gerard begs, suddenly not wanting to do this alone.

“Gerard, he’s your brother. He doesn’t know who I am and he only just found out I exist. He probably doesn’t want me to be there while he talks about his past.”

Gerard pleads silently, grabbing Frank’s hand and gripping tight, until Frank sighs and Gerard knows he’s won. He opens the door and walks, his hand still interlinked with Frank’s. Mikey hasn’t moved, still hunched over at one end of the couch while he runs his finger nervously around the rim of his coffee cup.

“Mikes,” Gerard whispers, his voice hoarse as he sits down on the couch and tugs Frank down at his other side. “We should talk.”

Mikey doesn’t argue. He doesn’t technically agree either but Gerard still understands the silent words, even after all these years. So they talk, they really talk. It’s a proper, long talk with crying and comforting and hugging and everything. Mikey talks most, telling them about his addiction and how much it hurts. Gerard talks a little, about the addiction he kicked and how much he wishes he’d never left Mikey. Frank fills in the timid silences and does plenty of hugging (mostly of Gerard and a little bit of Mikey when it becomes apparent he needs it). Gerard thinks Frank is doing a really great job of handling the emotions of two Way brothers without warning.

Mikey’s going to stay; that isn’t even a question. The question is how they’re going to manage to simultaneously thank Ray for bringing the brothers back together and also teach him that it’s not fucking okay to give out private details to random strangers. (The other question is how the fuck it’s even possible for Ray to have magically been there exactly when Mikey needed it. Frank insists fate isn’t a thing and Gerard insists that Frank’s a disbelieving asshole and Mikey cries because his brother is in love and he’s never seen him so happy.) And then the talking is done and they fall into another one of those silences that is awkward only because they are still confused as to where they stand with each other. But Frank fills it with an introduction, as though they weren’t already past formalities.

“I’m Frank and I love your brother.” He smiles and holds out a hand. Mikey takes it and Gerard sees a smile quirk at his lips, an image he hadn’t realised he missed so much.

“I’m Mikey and I love him too.”

Gerard looks at his boyfriend and his brother and the coffee cup on the table that he can refill in about 20 seconds and, for what feels like the first time in forever, he breathes.


End file.
